mediterr année update: Final stretch!

Many of you have probably been following Australian adventurer Huw Kingston on his epic 12 month Mediterr Année Journey. Here’s an update on his latest progress.

The Journey so far

Both as a personal commemoration of the Centenary of ANZAC, and to raise funds for the Save the Children – Kingston decided to embark on a mammoth undertaking. A full circumnavigation of the Mediterranean by human power. His chosen modes of transport have ranged from Sea Kayak, Row boat, Mountain Bike, and of course good old fashioned Foot Power. Significant milestones along the way, and there were many, have included: paddling the Corinth Canal, trekking the full length of the European Alps including an ascent of Mont Blanc, crossing the Straits of Gibraltar and cycling 1500km in less than two weeks through Algeria complete with police escort due to security concerns.

Unecpected hurdles

It was always Kingston’s dream to complete this undertaking completely under human power, and arrive back at ANZAC cove within 12 months of embarking. However as we all know, even the best laid plans often don’t go to plan. High winds and unsafe ocean conditions meant that Kingston – and not without much deliberation and a heavy heart – decided to break his self imposed ‘human power only’ rule.

In order to be in position to complete the final 1000km kayak around turkey, he boarded a plane from Athens to Rhodes (an island off the Turkish Coast) and from there he took a ferry to Marmaris. Once back on the ground Kingston was reunited with his sea kayak Miss Grape, who was being baby-sat by Turkish Customs. His last update reported smooth paddling along the Turkish Coast.

Where is Kingston right now?

Hopefully cruising along the final stretch of his mammoth pilgrimage, paddle in hand and a smile on his face -on track to be at ANZAC cove in Gallipolli on or before the 26th of April 2015, the 100 year ANZAC Centenary. If you wanted to share in part these final days of Kingston’s epic adventure, one way to do so is checking out his Follow my Spot page. To help keep family, friends and everyone who’s supported the journey up to date, Kingston has been tracking his progress via GPS checkpoints. The Spot Messenger is also an invaluable tool to ensure treacherous legs of the expedition could be made safer for all involved. For full route details click here

About The Author

Lachlan works as a freelance photographer, writer and videographer. His practice lies somewhere between storytelling and being a total gear nerd. Often found hiking, mountaineering, climbing, cycling, packrafting, or just hunting down the next story - Lachlan will take basically any excuse to get into the outdoors. In between all of the above, he also works in our Paddy Pallin store in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.

Welcome to the Blog

The name Paddy Pallin certainly means many things to many people. For some it brings to mind the genial personality of one of Australia’s pioneer bushwalkers. Others will recognise the name from the label of a sleeping bag or rucksack that has given a generation of faithful service in the great outdoors. Or perhaps it brings to mind the colourful history of Australia’s greatest cross-country ski race. For most people however, the name is associated with a group of specialist retail stores catering for travellers and outdoor enthusiasts.

The Experience Blog is a place to collaboratively share knowledge, adventures and inspire each other to enjoy the outdoors. We stand firmly by the motto that 'Experience is Everything' & strive to embody that philosophy within our community whenever possible.